Gathering dusk
by tabby-tiger-demon
Summary: Being rewritten. More like original fiction than twilight. Rated for language. May contain lesbian themes, don't like don't read.
1. Chapter 1

CH1

Ch.1. Nightmares

Another day, another nightmare. I thought as I stood in line for the tiny, warm water fountain. It had been a long day of classes and I wasn't done yet. I irritably brushed a stray piece of my coppery blond hair away from my dark grey eyes. The girl in front of me moved away and I bent down to hopefully sooth my parched throat. I couldn't help but think of all of the recent nightmares I had been having. I must have only had about four hours of sleep last night.

"Rae! Get in here! Choir practice is starting!" A voice shouted at me from within the music room. I blinked sleepily back at the room before entering. The pale room was full of staring eyes and I knew at least five people had noticed the change in my behavior in the past few weeks, but the majority of the choir was totally oblivious.

"Rae you look awful, have you had trouble sleeping?" A girl in the back asked. Her bright blond shoulder length hair hung down in a straight sheet on either side of her face and accented her clear emerald green eyes.

"Hi Ruth." I replied sleepily, "Yes I have had a lot of trouble sleeping". I yawned before taking my place with the seconds. We started to sing Lets call the whole thing off before I started to nod off. I slipped out of reality and in to a world of dreams before anyone noticed.

I blinked my eyes open to the interior an old Victorian house. All of the blinds were drawn making it hard to see the walls on the other side of the room. I sat up and rubbed my temples trying my hardest to remember how I got here from the well lit music room.

Suddenly a hissing noise jolted me back to the room and out of my quiet reverie. Something or someone in the room was chanting in a forgotten language. I looked around wildly before locking my gaze with a pair of glowing topaz eyes.

"NO!" I screamed.

My eyes jolted open to a few terrified faces. Ruth and two other girls were hovering over me .One of the girls had coppery brown hair and pale brown eyes, the other had bright blue eyes and light blond hair.

"Rae? Are you ok?" The blond asked. Her hair was drawn back into a short ponytail that bobbed behind her head.

"I think I am Becky. Why?" I replied as I tried to sit up on the bed I was laid out on. I couldn't even figure out why there was a bed in the school.

"You fell off the risers and hit your head." The other replied. "Becky and I helped Ruth carry you up here." I Looked around for Ruth but the small blond was nowhere in sight.

I looked around to see where I was. I was surrounded with white wash walls in a room with no windows. The nurse's office, Of course, where else would they bring me? I thought just before an image of Ruth flitted through my confused mind, Ruth must have been worried sick.

Authors note. SOrry for deleating the first story, but here it is in all of its re written glory. And to those who loyaly read this thanks. And please reveiw, if i don't get reviews i don't think my stories are getting read.


	2. Chapter 2 : It starts

Ch

Ch. 2. It starts.

We were discharged from the office quickly seeing as none of us were really hurt. We went back to the music room but all of the others had left. I raised a hand to wave goodbye and headed to the door.

"Wait Rae! Want to walk home with me?" Kelsey said. "I have to tell you something." I looked back at her and tilted my head in confusion. I nodded after few moments and then waited for her to catch up. Together we walked out of the doors and into the gathering darkness.

"Ok, what is it Kelsey?" I asked as soon as we had gotten a good distance away from the school. I will never forget the look in her eyes when I asked that.

"I need somewhere to stay. My parents just kicked me out. Could I stay with you?" She asked. I couldn't believe that she was asking that. Everything was supposed to be perfect in her house.

"Sure Kelsey. It gets a little lonely when the only other living thing is a cat." I said as I watched relief come into her eyes.

The city was quieter than normal tonight even though every one of my senses was on high alert. The dark streets seemed to dark to even see into as the fog crept in slowly from the bay. We walked with quiet steeps towards an old apartment.

"There's something else. I know that you have déjà-vu moments and I think I know why. Do you have visions too?" Kelsey said as we stepped up to the door. I stopped and froze up completely. How could she know about that, the only people who knew were Shadow and Geoffrey.

"Get inside, now, please." I hissed through clenched teeth. Her eyes opened to their widest point and she pressed closer to the door. "Kelsey." She quickly opened the door and hid within the entrance.

"Rae you're scaring me." She whispered, "Where is all of the power coming from?" Her eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. Then again I must have scared the poor girl out of her wits.

"I'm sorry, but that's something you can't say in public. Now tell me what you know." I said hoping to sound calm as I suppressed the power surge. My powers were still a little off at the moment.

"Rae, I've known you for years, do you not think I've seen the changes in you're personality and moods?" She asked. I had to give her that one of course she would notice she was my oldest friend. She continued on and I helped correct her at points. In the end it turned out that she really did know a lot. In the end I made a mental note to and introduce her to shadow in the morning.

"Meow-ow" Came an annoyed mew from around my feet. Kelsey jumped back a few feet and looked a little startled. I Bent down to grab the little bundle of soft silky black fur that was my kitten. She instantly started purring and cuddling up a storm. I bent down and kissed her on the head and she licked my nose.

"You are such a sweetie, Echo." I said addressing the cat. Then turning to Kelsey, "Would you like to hold her?" I knew that the way people reacted to echo and the way she acted towards them helped me in a lot of decisions. She held out her hands and I gently placed the cat there. Echo never stopped purring and a smile gradually crossed Kelsey's face. That is such a good sign.

"When did you get a kitten?" Kelsey asked as she cuddled Echo.

"I got her after the accident." I said as I looked at a picture on the wall. The two of the faces smiled back while two just looked bored. If I had only known that that had been my last picture with them I would have smiled.

"Oh." Kelsey replied and she left the subject there. "Where should I stay?" She asked looking around at the small place.

"I have a guest room." I suggested as I walked down a darkened hallway "It's this way." I watched Echo jump out of her arms and down onto the floor to follow me with Kelsey at her heels. I opened a door showing what would have been the master bedroom as Echo stopped at my heels and mewed again. "Yes Echo, she's staying with us if she wants too." I said to the cat. Echo looked content and went back to Kelsey, begging to be picked up again."

"You can understand your cat?" Kelsey asked as she as me the 'Are you sure your not crazy?' look. Then she remembered when I got the kitten. "Never mind." I thanked her silently for dropping the question. She yawned and I passed a look at the clock.

"Good night." I said as I left the room. "I'm just two doors down on the right if you need me." then I hurried back to my room. Echo padded quietly behind me never mewing once. It was almost as if something was wrong. I stepped into my silent room, wait silent that's weird I always leave the radio on. It was dark too and I cursed having the light switch on the other side of the room. I took a few steps into the darkness when the door slammed shut and something grabbed onto my shoulders.

From down the hall a scream pierced the silence and I cold only guess the same thing was happening to her. I moved to hit the figure when the hands that were at my shoulders slid down and pinned my hands to my side. I instantly started to struggle wildly I had to help Kelsey but how could I if I was trapped like this.

The thing bent down until it seamed to graze my neck. I felt its warm breath as it sunk its fangs into my neck. I couldn't help it now, I screamed in pain and fear. It withdrew its fangs and seamed to start lapping the blood off the wound as I stopped screaming and began to feel light headed. I could hear sobbing faintly in the background and guessed it must be Kelsey.

The door opened bringing in light from the hallway and another shaded figure with blood on its hands. "Come on. You've finished the first stage." The figured growled at the one holding me.

"Why? Her blood is so good." The one holding me whined. The other figure strode into the room and whispered something to the one holding me. "Fine." She hissed as she hit a point on my neck and I dropped like a rock. I felt a pair of arms grab around my waist and caught a pair of glowing topaz and glowing grey eyes as they dragged me out of the room and it all faded in to darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch

Ch.3 Revival.

"Oh. My. Goodness. Rae! How much blood has she lost?" A worried voice said as I drifted back to awareness. I attempted to sit up and heard another scream the same one that I heard last night. I opened my eyes and stared into a shock of brown hair.

"Are you okay, Kelsey?" I asked in a slurred voice. As I remembered the events that took place last night. I lifted my hand and brushed the hair away from her neck revealing two fang marks.

"Yes, I'm okay, but I didn't try to fight whatever it was that attacked me." She said as she moved a cool cloth to my neck. I have to remember to give this one a lot of bleach in the next wash I thought as she pulled it away covered in blood. "Ouch. You might need some cover up on that before choir. And a good shower." She wrinkled her nose as she touched my cut. I flinched again in pain at the feel of her hand against the tender skin. Her Hand came away with more of the crimson blood.

"Help me up please." I said as I struggled to get my feet under me. I grabbed her hand as she dragged me to my feet. I stood shakily on my feet and struggled back to my room. After a few moments I finally managed to get back into a normal stride. Echo mewed in greeting as I entered the room. She padded out of the closet where she must have been hiding after the 'thing' attacked last night. I walked over to the dresser which had a piece of paper laying on it. I was certain that hadn't been there the night before. I picked it up along with a new set of cloths and headed for the bathroom.

Never had I wanted a hot shower any more than this. I was sticky with dry and drying blood and I couldn't even see the wound. I flinched under the water pressure but then loved the soft patter of the water against my skin. The water running down the drain was crimson with blood. After an hour I got out and changed into my uniform.

I walked out after I brushed my hair down so it hid the bite. With a silver rose embroidered over my heart I actually thought we had a chance. Ruth, Kelsey and I were trying out for spots at an elite School of music. I moved the paper I was holding from hand to hand as I walked to the living room.

"You look like the walking dead." Kelsey remarked as I entered the room. I looked up at the mirror and saw my skin was as pale as new fallen snow. It must have been from the blood loss, even Kelsey looked a little pale.

"You don't look so great yourself. Did you find a note too?" I asked. She nodded and held up a folded piece of paper. As I started to unfold it frantic knocking came from the door.

"Rae! Let me in!" Came a yell from outside the door. "Please!" She shouted. I threw open the door to find a terrified Ruthie standing there, with blood drying on her neck and face. There was a slip of paper in her hand identical to the ones Kelsey and I had. Ruth fell through the doors, passing out from blood loss.

I lifted her lightly off the doorstep and dragged her into the house. "Kelsey!" I yelled half in worry and half in fright. Kelsey burst out into the main entrance way and screamed. "Kelsey, Get a hold of your self! Grab her feet!" She quickly complied and I think we were both in shock.

"Rae! Get a cold cloth and blankets and another set of the uniform." Kelsey said taking control of Ruthie. I quickly rushed off to grab what she wanted because when Kelsey was in a mothering mood the smart thing was to do what she wanted you too. "Rae, Quickly!"

I rushed through the house, tripping down the stairs as I came back from my room. "Here you go." I said as I passed her all of the items she told be to get as well as a few others that I saw necessary. "Let me handle the wound please." I said as I gently moved a cool cloth to Ruth's forehead and moved another one to wipe the blood off of her neck, face and visible chest.

Kelsey picked up the cup of juice I had set beside her and took a sip as I wiped away the some of the blood. Funny how she only has two little wounds and there's so much blood I thought Did they hit her jugular vein? I had just finished cleaning the blood away when she started to stir.

"Rae?" she said sounding like she was a little drunk. She did the same thing I did to Kelsey and revealed my bite. "You too?"

"Yep, and Kelsey was bit too." I said as Kelsey removed the hair covering her bite. Ruth's eyes opened wide and her moth fell open. I quickly handed her a cup of juice and went to make another and grab the arrow root cookies. Great now we al were going into shock I thought as my hands started to shake.

As I came back into the room Ruth started to laugh hysterically. It only took a few moments before the sound of a slap echoed around. I flinched as I heard the sound of some one hit the floor. I jumped into the room as Ruth landed motionless on the floor. After that I fainted.

I started to come to as a bucket of water was dumped over my face. Spluttering I sat up and glared at Kelsey. "I didn't know you were waking up." She said as she shivered under my glare. "The power is back" she whispered.

"How is Ruth?" I said as I looked at the clock. 3:00 pm, Great we had half an hour to get to the Try outs.

"She's awake, and dressed, now go change." Kelsey said as I sprinted up to my room, the notes forgotten.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Ch. 4. An Unexpected Appearance**_

After changing in to my full black attire with the exception of the silver rose and the other silver jewelry we were all adorned with. The three of us left my old house and headed to the theatre uptown.

The three of us were quite a sight, with us all looking unnaturally pale. In the black I must have looked totally undead. The skin around the bite was a pale pink in contrast to my snowy white skin. The theatre came into sight and we all started to prepare. By the time we got to the theatre we al knew the song 'Only time' By Enya backwards and forwards and everyone else's part.

"So two seconds and a soprano, for only time, what no alto wanted to sing with you?" the people who checked everyone in said.

"I know the alto part. I can hit the notes." I growled. My mood was a little off today. But what could you expect from a girl who was attacked by something the night before, and was suffering major blood loss. They gave us the wave to go through and we took our places in the dusty back stage. At that time Rth figured it was time to start getting an explanation.

"Good Lord, Rae. What did you do to get you're floor covered in blood." Ruth asked, as she remembered the look of the house.

"I fought with a creature that wanted to drink my blood." I explained thinking it was clearly obvious.

"You're on!" The stage hand said, casing us to stop or conversation and I to bite deeply into my finger, drawing blood. For some odd reason I licked the blood off before entering the stage.

Our Instructor took her place in front of the three of us and gave us a wink, as if to say we would do great. How I wished I cold believe her though. She must be upset to lose three of her students. As we lined up I saw the three people, they didn't look so bad. When the music played I fell instinctively into my part.

Every thing went fine as the song played through. At the end the judges clapped and waved us through to the next round. We were going to secondary rounds! When we got backstage something odd happened. Three pairs of glowing eyes appeared, Blue, grey, and topaz, and I passed out.

_The wind blew through the bushes around me wildly, determined to destroy all in its path. It was impossible to hear yet I knew I was not alone. Some inhuman thing had awakened inside of me, creating a new powerful version of myself. I was changed, physically and mentally and ever so totally that I almost forgot who I was._

_I couldn't pin how got here though, Or why I suddenly was so powerful. I started to walk through the forest looking for any clues to the mystery. I continued to walk until I came to a pond and caught my reflection. And what I saw chilled me to the very core. The girl that was staring back at me had glowing amber eyes._

_I looked like the form in my dreams only I was more defined. The eyes were wrong too, they appeared to glow with amber light. This was so strange, but it wasn't what scared me the most. What did was when the girl suddenly smiled revealing two long fangs._

"No!!" I screamed jolting back to the waking world. " Oh it was only a dream, only a dream." I said relived to hear my own voice as I reached up to ouch my two canine teeth, thankfully they were the same size as they had been before. But doubt was in the back of my mind, had it been a vision like those I had before the accident? Or was it a dream? It seamed way to real to have been a dream, but I can never tell anymore.

I was jolted out of my worried thoughts by a pair of Perky voices.

"Rae! You're awake!" Kelsey and Ruth shouted simultaneously in my ears. Ouch. It was creepy how they managed to speak in sync so much. Or scream in this case.

"Yeah what happened?" I asked rubbing what felt like a bump on the back of my head.

"You fainted." Ruth replied. Wow this happened a lot more since the accident than ever before.

"Well, at least I didn't break anything." I said smiling brightly at their two confused faces while worry gnawed at my thoughts. "Or fall off the stage again." The corners of my mouth twitched as I thought back to the last time I fell off stage. It had been in the middle of an assembly and pictures are still on the website. I broke out laughing a few minutes later to the confusion of my too friends. They stared at me funny for a moment before joining in the laughter.

"We should get home." Kelsey said as she headed to the door. Ruthie and I padded after her and out on to the dusky light in the streets. I blinked as my eyes readjusted to the growing dim.

"Ruth, do you want to come with us? You could stay the night and celebrate." I suggested as Ruth pulled out her cell phone. She nodded and walked a short way away to talk with her mother.

When she returned we started off towards my house, The whole way I could only think 'safety in numbers' but that's been proven to be untrue. I mean how often have a herd of cattle or sheep been attacked by wolves or big cats or other predators? My point.

Well we could forget that and have one night without fear and with pizza, cake, ands cheesy movies. I mean what harm could come of that. The three of us padded down the well worn sidewalk and walked into the shadows shrouding my home. And like a hunted animals we walked right towards the hunters.


End file.
